Wireless probes

• US 10,018,670 B2
• Filed: 12/08/2015
• Issued: 07/10/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Inphi Corporation
• Original Assignee: eSilicon Corporation (Inphi Corporation)
• Inventors: DeLaCruz, Javier
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Tung X
• Application Number:
  US14/963,076
• Publication Number:
  US 20160161554A1
• Time in Patent Office: 945 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/3025 Wireless interface with the DUT
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/303 of integrated circuits G01R31/305 - G01R31/315 take precedence

Abstract

Disclosed is a probe card for testing a wireless module on an integrated circuit die contained on a wafer. The probe card includes a connector and a plurality of probes. The connector connects the probe card to test equipment. The plurality of probes connects the probe card to a wafer containing a plurality of integrated circuit dies. The probe card additionally includes an antenna configured to transmit a wireless test signal to be received by at least one of the integrated circuit dies, and/or to receive a wireless signal transmitted by at least one of the integrated circuit dies.

Claims

1. A probe card for testing a wireless module on an integrated circuit die contained on a wafer, the probe card comprising:

a housing;

a connector disposed on the housing, the connector for connecting the probe card to test equipment;

a plurality of probes to probe a wafer containing a plurality of integrated circuit dies, the plurality of probes protruding from the housing; and

an antenna configured to transmit a wireless test signal to be received by at least one of the integrated circuit dies, and/or to receive a wireless signal transmitted by at least one of the integrated circuit dies.

2. The probe card of claim 1, further comprising a housing, wherein the antenna is disposed on the surface of the housing of the probe card.

3. The probe card of claim 1, further comprising:

a probe card controller configured to transmit input signals to the integrated circuit dies via the probes, and/or to receive output signals from the integrated circuit dies via the probes, and to transmit and/or receive wireless signals via the antenna.

4. The probe card of claim 3, wherein the probe card controller comprises a wireless module for encoding a test pattern to be transmitted via the antenna, and/or to decode a signal received via the antenna.

5. The probe card of claim 3, wherein the probe card controller generates a test pattern to be transmitted via the antenna based on a signal received through the connected from the test equipment.

6. The probe card of claim 4, wherein the antenna is coupled to the probe card controller.

7. The probe card of claim 1, wherein the antenna is coupled to a probe of the plurality of probes.

8. The probe card of claim 1, further comprising:

a second antenna, the second antenna coupled to the connector, the at least one of the integrated circuit dies configured to transmit the wireless signal to be received by the antenna of the probe card via the second antenna, the wireless test signal transmitted by the second antenna based on a signal received by an integrated circuit die of the plurality of dies of the wafer.

9. The probe card of claim 1, further comprising:

a second antenna, the second antenna coupled a probe of the plurality of probes, the at least one of the integrated circuit dies configured to receive the wireless test signal transmitted by the antenna of the probe card via the second antenna.

10. The probe card of claim 1, wherein the wireless test signal is received by the at least one of the integrated circuit dies via an antenna embedded in the at least one of the integrated circuit dies.

11. The probe card of claim 1, wherein the wireless signal is transmitted by the at least one of the integrated circuit dies via an antenna embedded in the at least one of the integrated circuit dies.

12. A method for testing an integrated circuit die comprising:

probing the integrated circuit die using a probe card, the probe card including a probe card antenna;

sending a signal to the integrated circuit die to receive a wireless signal;

transmitting a wireless signal using the antenna of the wireless probe card, the transmitted wireless signal to be received by an antenna of the integrated circuit die;

receiving an output signal from the integrated circuit die; and

determining whether the integrated circuit die contains defects based on the received output signal.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein determining whether the integrated circuit die contains defects based on the received output signal comprises:

comparing the received output signal to an expected output generated based on the transmitted wireless signal.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein determining whether the integrated circuit die contains defects based on the received output signal comprises:

comparing the received output signal to the transmitted wireless signal.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

sending a second signal, via the prove card, to the integrated circuit die to transmit a second wireless signal;

receiving the second wireless signal, using the wireless probe antenna, from the integrated circuit die; and

determining whether the integrated circuit die contains defects based on the received second wireless signal.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

probing a second integrated circuit die using the probe card;

sending a signal to the integrated circuit die to receive a wireless signal;

sending a signal to the second integrated circuit die to transmit the wireless signal;

receiving an output signal from the first integrated circuit die; and

determining whether the first integrated circuit die and the second integrated circuit die contain defects based on the received output signal.

17. A probe card for testing a wireless module on an integrated circuit die contained on a wafer, the probe card comprising:

a connector for connecting the probe card to test equipment;

a plurality of probes to probe a wafer containing a plurality of integrated circuit dies; and

an antenna configured to transmit a wireless test signal to be received by at least one of the integrated circuit dies, and/or to receive a wireless signal transmitted by at least one of the integrated circuit dies.

18. The probe card of claim 17, further comprising a housing, wherein the antenna is embedded inside the housing of the probe card.

19. The probe card of claim 17, further comprising:

a second antenna, the second antenna coupled to the connector, the at least one of the integrated circuit dies configured to transmit the wireless signal to be received by the antenna of the probe card via the second antenna, the wireless test signal transmitted by the second antenna based on a signal received by an integrated circuit die of the plurality of dies of the wafer.

20. The probe card of claim 17, further comprising:

a second antenna, the second antenna coupled a probe of the plurality of probes, the at least one of the integrated circuit dies configured to receive the wireless test signal transmitted by the antenna of the probe card via the second antenna.